Workpiece transfer assemblies for use in progressive die type punch presses are well known in the art. Examples of these are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,138,128 granted June 23, 1964, 3,421,637 granted Jan. 14, 1969, 4,198,845 granted Apr. 22, 1980, and 4,513,602 granted Apr. 30, 1985, all in the name of the inventor of the subject invention.
A common problem not effectively eliminated by the prior art technology rises when the workpieces are lifted above the surface of the die before they are moved to the next station, either because of workpiece shape on the nature of the forming operation. In the past, this lift and carry operation was preformed by complex rack and pinion assemblies, as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,199 to Baba et al granted Mar. 13, 1984, or by devices that were bolted onto the workpiece engaging jaws, as shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,845. These prior art lifting devices were clumsy, difficult to maintain, and comparatively expensive to produce.